Many AC/DC converter architectures are known that are based on rectifying elements, which may be controllable (thyristors, for example) or not (diodes, for example), assembled as a rectifying bridge, powered with an AC voltage and delivering a DC voltage, this DC voltage being possibly itself converted back into an AC voltage.
The inrush current, that is, the current peaks which occur on each halfwave of the AC voltage as long as the voltage across a capacitor at the output of the rectifying bridge has not reached a sufficient level and, this, particularly, in starting phases, is generally desired to be limited.
Documents U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,255 and Japanese publication JP-H-1278258 (both incorporated by reference) describe examples of AC/DC converters.